


look into my eyes (they'll say that I love you)

by orphan_account



Category: All For The Game - Nora Sakavic
Genre: Dresses, M/M, Picnics
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-27
Updated: 2020-10-27
Packaged: 2021-03-08 21:06:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,240
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27223204
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: Andrew suggests a picnic and surprises Neil with a dress.
Relationships: Neil Josten/Andrew Minyard
Comments: 3
Kudos: 52





	look into my eyes (they'll say that I love you)

**Author's Note:**

> I needed something wholesome to get out of my system, and what better way to do that than imagine Neil gaining confidence and wearing all the cute dresses he wants? 
> 
> If you want an idea of what kind of dress I imagined Neil wearing, I suggest visiting this https://www.breathofyouth.com/collections/dresses  
> URL and browsing! 
> 
> I also encourage you to listen to the song Never Change by Melissa Polinar which this fic is loosely based off of. Such loving vibes! 
> 
> Otherwise, I have nothing left to say other then I hope you enjoy!

Andrew suggested a picnic this morning. Neil agreed easily. Andrew’s been hinting at it all week, after all, and who is Neil not to indulge? _Especially_ when Neil could see a hint of a sparkle in his eyes throughout it. He’d brought up the good weather during practice on Monday (rightfully ignoring Kevin’s scolding in the meantime), showed Neil secluded parks with a nice view in the area at Eden’s on Friday, and even impulse bought a picnic basket and cookie dough just yesterday.

So today is Sunday, picnic day, and right now they’re baking the cookies.

Neil is feeling giddy as he packs the rest of their meal into the basket. He’s never had a picnic before, and he’s not sure what to expect. Whatever Andrew likes is usually what Neil likes though, so he’s not worried at all. He’d done all his research last night! Here’s what he found:

**pic·nic /ˈpikˌnik/**

_**noun** _

_**1\. an outing or occasion that involves taking a packed meal to be eaten outdoors:** _

_**"we swam and went on picnics"** _

_**synonyms: outdoor meal, al fresco meal, barbecue, garden party.** _

In other words, Neil will get to watch Andrew eat all the foods he likes, and Neil will get to eat Andrew’s cooking. They won’t be swimming, and it won’t be a huge ordeal so there probably won’t be a barbeque, but Neil will see Andrew have fun with his little garden party.

Neil likes math, but it doesn’t take a genius to solve this win-win equation.

Just when he’s grinning to himself for his amazing intelligence, something cold and slimy is slathered onto Neil cheek. He yelps, whipping around and ready to fight his interrupted rare self praise, but it’s just Andrew - which only makes Neil want to fight more.

“Sunscreen,” he says simply. “You’ll need it.”

Neil pouts, unable to find a fault in that statement, and feeling rebellious demands Andrew to rub it in for him. Only to be petty, of course.

Andrew rolls his eyes but indulges, and soon Neil feels like a puppy being groomed with how softly Andrew rubs at his skin. His thumbs caress his cheekbones and pinch lightly at his nose, and Neil grows cross eyed when Andrew reaches the middle of his forehead. Andrew huffs his little laugh and reaches down to smooth the last of the sunscreen onto Neil’s nape, and Neil leans into the touch, sighing quietly.

_Bliss._

“I have something for you,” Andrew says, and before Neil can ask his usual _what's, why's_ and _how's_ , Andrew tugs him to the bedroom and quickly shuts and locks the door. Andrew asks his _yes_ _or no_ instead, and when Neil replies with his _always_ , Andrew pulls Neil in front of their full body mirror and tells him:

“Strip. Just to your underwear. Strip, and close your eyes for me.”

To hear this for the first time was an adrenaline rush to say the least, but this is now their usual routine, in which Andrew presents Neil with a new outfit. He likes to dress Neil by himself, and slowly appreciate the way the clothes fall onto his boyfriend like a deity to be worshipped. What’s even better is that it makes Neil blush every time, and Andrew likes to see Neil embarrassed for him, because then that means that Andrew gets to reassure him that he looks gorgeous each time too.

This time, with his eyes shut tight, Andrew guides Neil to lift his legs to step into something. Soft cotton slips on and slides up, and Andrew tucks both of Neil’s arms into puffed sleeves before Neil feels a slow zipping up his back and a tug at his waist as Andrew fiddles with what seems to be strings of some sort. The last thing he hears is Andrew step away and give an audible gasp, and _that_ \- that freaks Neil out a bit. That’s an entirely new sound from Andrew, and Neil feels a swell of panic that maybe he doesn’t look so nice when Andrew tells him to open his eyes.

It’s a dress.

It’s very pretty. So pretty that it makes Neil blush _furiously_ this time, and he can’t give his usual silly finish pose or model strut, because despite how flashy they’ve been, Andrew’s outfits have never stepped completely out of Neil’s comfort zone of his survival days and - and this dress is modest, and looks like something out of a cute cottage fairytale, but it’s a _dress_. His mother never allowed for dresses. Neil could only sneak glances as they ran, mostly into downtown window shops, _but god how he ached to wear one_.

Yet now that he _is_ , he can’t help but wonder how something so delicate looking could possibly suit such an indelicate and marred being.

“My love,” Andrew whispered. A declaration, a commitment. Neil’s soul fell quiet and leaned in to listen. To see the adoration in Andrew’s eyes and feel the aching of his heart, and watch as Andrew, awfully overwhelmed, could cope only by cupping Neil’s cheeks in his hands. They weren’t soft - all Andrew’s fingertips could feel was skin rough and scarred. Neil’s face told stories of greatness in survival of a boy in a world that knew only how to be unkind to him. Something beautiful leaked through those scars though, because Neil’s skin was also impossibly warm and gushing with a life that Neil was just starting to live. Neil felt powerful at this thought. Andrew always made Neil feel powerful.

“Beautiful,” Andrew continued, awestruck. He wasn’t talking about the dress, though Neil couldn’t comment on that, instead giving a quiet sound, overwhelmed at the praise.

“Won’t you give me a spin?” Neil’s grin was wobbly with nervousness as he took a step back for Andrew to see. Gripping lightly at the edge of his dress ( _his_ dress, oh my gosh), he tucked his right foot behind his left and gave a pivot and swirl. The dress fluttered and so did Neil’s heart at the look Andrew gave him - the same one Neil gives Andrew, and when Neil finishes his dance Andrew continues it, extending his hand, a silent plea to pull Neil closer.

Neil doesn’t take it though, opting to jump into Andrew instead.

“You do wonderful things to me,” Neil breathed, trying to keep his wild heart beat at bay. His voice breaks a bit anyways, and he buries his face in Andrew’s neck as a last resort. He tries again. “I feel - beautiful with you, because I feel safe and nurtured.”

“And you _are_ beautiful, make no mistake,” Andrew reassures, planting a kiss atop Neil’s head.

“Do you like it?”

Neil nods.

“Do you want more?”

Neil nods, relieved and soothed now from his earlier panic.

“I’d buy you all the dresses in the world if I could, because I know you’d simply make them yours. You’d own them, my love. Walking to the café. Going to class. A picnic at the neighborhood park. You’d be glowing I’m certain, just as you are now.” He plants a kiss on Neil’s eyes, wet with fresh tears.

There’s the infamous phrase that clothes make the man, but Andrew seems to be sure that all the outfits in the world are begging to be worn by Neil. With a sudden surge of confidence Neil laughs loudly, smiling wide and full and squeezing Andrew just a little bit tighter.

“I’d like that.”

**Author's Note:**

> If you've come this far, I thank you profoundly for giving this a read. It was purely self-indulgent, so I appreciate you giving this a chance. Take care of yourself, because you're doing wonderful.


End file.
